Search

The wetting behavior and the interfacial reactions between TiC substrate and molten Ti-Al alloys with different Al contents were studied using the Sessile Drop method at 1758 K (1485 °C) in argon atmosphere. It is found that the wettability and interface reaction products depend on Al content in the molten alloy. The initial contact angles between the molten Ti-Al alloy and TiC surface reduces from 110 to 80 deg when Al content in the alloy changes from 40 to 80 wt pct. The reduction in the initial contact angle is due to the decrease of surface tension of the molten Ti-Al alloys with increasing Al contents. The segregation of Al atoms to the surface occurred at all bulk concentrations of Ti-Al alloys. Al with lower surface tension tends to segregate on the surface of liquid Ti-Al alloy. In the spreading stage, the interfacial reaction led to the decrease in the contact angle. The adhesion in Ti-Al/TiC system can be interpreted in terms of strong chemical interactions, which is greatly affected by the diffusion of C. The equilibrium contact angle was measured less than 10 deg. Finally, the reaction sequence at the Ti-Al melt and TiC substrate interface is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-grade iron ore with phosphorus (LGIOWP), the extensive industrial solid waste generated in mining of high phosphorus iron ore, was investigated to assess the effectiveness for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution. The factors influencing the adsorption were examined, and the related adsorption mechanism was discussed. The results showed that pH value had a significant effect on the phosphate removal. The optimum pH value for phosphate adsorption was 5.6. The adsorption of phosphate mainly on hematite ligand exchange is likely the key mechanism for phosphate removal when pH is in the range of 1−9. When pH value was above 9, the presence of dolomite played an important role in phosphate removal. The adsorption capacity is enhanced with a higher initial phosphate concentration. Kinetic studies show that the adsorption follow pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to simulate the adsorption equilibrium data. The adsorption fits well with the Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorption capacity is found to be 11.44 mg/g. Due to possessing the low cost and high capability, LGIOWP could be a promising material for phosphate removal in the wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The crystallisation behaviour of perovskite in liquid synthesised titanium-bearing blast furnace (BF) slag (TiO2-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-CaO) was observed in situ with a confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). Perovskite crystals were dendritic columnar crystals that nucleated on the crucible bottom (and wall) and grew to the centre and surface of liquid slag. The CSLM result that perovskite grew along straight lines through the successive appearances of quasi-particles on slag surface reflected the growth process of dendrites beneath the surface. The formation of perovskite required the diffusion of TiO2 and CaO to the solid interface at the dendrite tips and the rejection of SiO2, Al2O3 and MgO from the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction behavior of the Panzhihua titanomagnetite concentrates (PTC) briquette with coal was investigated by temperature-programmed heating under argon atmosphere in a vertical tube electric furnace. The mass loss behavior of the PTC-coal mixture was checked by thermogravimetric analysis method in argon with a heating rate of 5 K (5 °C)/ min. It was found that there are five stages during the carbothermic reduction process of the PTC. The devolatilization of coal occurred in the first stage, and reductions of iron oxides mainly occurred in the second and third stages. The reduction rate of iron oxide in the third stage was much higher than that in the second stage because of the significant rate of carbon gasification reaction. The iron in the ilmenite was reduced in the fourth stage. In the final stage, the rutile was partially reduced to lower valence oxides. The phase transformation of the briquette reduced at different temperatures was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The main phases of sample reduced at 1173 K (900 °C) are metallic iron, ilmenite (FeTiO), and titanomagnetite (FeTiO). The traces of rutile (TiO) were observed at 1273 K (1000 °C). The iron carbide (FeC) and ferrous-pseudobrookite (FeTiO) appeared at 1473 K (1200 °C). The titanium carbide was found in the sample reduced at 1623 K (1350 °C). The shrinkages of reduced briquettes, which increased with increase in the temperature, were found to depend greatly on the temperature. With increasing the reduction temperature to 1573 K (1300 °C), the iron nuggets were observed outside of the samples reduced. The nugget formation can indicate a new process of ironmaking with titanomagnetite similar to ITmk3 (Ironmaking Technology Mark 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast furnace (BF) slag, which is the main byproduct in the ironmaking process, contains large amounts of sensible heat. To recover the heat, a new waste heat-recovery system-granulating molten BF slag by rotary multinozzles cup atomizer and pyrolyzing printed circuited board with obtained hot BF slag particle-was proposed in this study. The feasibility of the waste heat-recovery system was verified by dry granulation and pyrolyzation experiments. The energy of hot BF slag could be converted to chemical energy through the pyrolysis reaction, and a large amount of combustible gas like CO, H, CH, and CH can be generated during the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg-Li-Al alloy was prepared by ingot casting and then underwent subsequent reactive ball milling. A Mg-Li-Al-H complex hydride was obtained under a 0.4 MPa hydrogen atmosphere at room temperature, and as high as 10.7 wt% hydrogen storage capacity was achieved, with the peak desorption temperature of the initial step at approximately 65 °C. The evolution of the reaction during milling, as well as the effect of Li/Al ratio in the raw materials on the desorption properties of the hydrides formed, were studied by x-ray diffraction and simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The results showed that mechanical milling increases the solubility of Li in Mg, leading to the transformation of bcc β(Li) solid solution to hcp α(Mg) solid solution, the latter continues to incorporate Li and Al, which stimulates the formation of Mg-Li-Al-H hydride. A lower Li/Al ratio resulted in faster hydrogen desorption rate and a greater amount of hydrogen released at a low temperature range, but sacrificing total hydrogen storage capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium-based porous materials can be used in structural applications and medical implants because of their excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, good corrosion resistance and wonderful biocompatibility. However, most of the methods used to produce the porous metal can only give limited porosity and uncontrollable pore morphologies. In the present study, a newly developed method of powder metallurgy using the space-holder technique was used to fabricate porous titanium with controllable porosity. The morphological features and mechanical properties of the products were fully investigated. The results show that the porosity is in the range of 55%–75%, and the mean pore size, with an average sphericity of ∼0.72, is 600 μm. The plateau stresses vary between 10 MPa and 35 MPa. As predicted by the Gibson-Ashby model, the plateau stress decreases with increasing porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To satisfy the mechanical requirement of porous bone substitutes, the porous Ti with the porosity in the range of 55–75% was fabricated using the space-holder sintering process. The pore size is in the range of 200–500μm, and the mean value is 410μm. The mechanical properties were investigated by the compressive test. Results show that the plateau stress and Young''s modulus are in the range of 10–35MPa and 3–6.4GPa, respectively. The relationship between the mechanical properties and the relative density of porous Ti is found to obey a power law relation. The strength of the porous Ti is mainly affected by the density. The typical rupture section of compressed samples has the V-shape. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Metastasis is the main cause of mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Exploring the mechanisms of metastasis is of great importance in both clinical and fundamental CRC research. CRC is a highly heterogeneous disease with variable therapeutic outcomes of treatment. In this study, we applied spatial transcriptomics (ST) to generate a tissue-wide transcriptome from two primary colorectal cancer tissues and their matched liver metastatic tissues. Spatial RNA information showed intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) of both primary and metastatic tissues. The comparison of gene expressions across tissues revealed an apparent enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in metastatic tissues and identified FOXD1 as a novel metastatic CSC marker. Trajectory and pseudo-time analyses revealed distinct evolutionary trajectories and a dedifferentiation-differentiation process during metastasis. CellphoneDB analysis suggested a dominant interaction of CD74-MIF with tumor cells in metastatic tissues. Further analysis confirmed FOXD1 as a maker of CSCs and the predictor of patient survival, especially in metastatic diseases. Our study found ITH of primary and metastatic tissues and provides novel insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying liver metastasis of CRC and foundations for therapeutic strategies for CRC metastasis. In this study, we applied spatial transcriptomics (ST) to generate a tissue-wide transcriptome from two primary colorectal cancer tissues and their matched liver metastatic tissues. Spatial RNA information showed intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) of both primary and metastatic tissues. • The comparison of gene expressions across tissues revealed an apparent enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in metastatic tissues and identified FOXD1 as a novel metastatic CSC marker. • CellphoneDB analysis suggested a dominant interaction of CD74-MIF with tumor cells in metastatic tissues. • Further analysis confirmed FOXD1 as a maker of CSCs and the predictor of patient survival, especially in metastatic diseases. • Our study found ITH of primary and metastatic tissues and provides novel insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying liver metastasis of CRC and foundations for therapeutic strategies for CRC metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the imaging details and diagnostic information of the treatment response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) of rectal adenocarcinoma at 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by ex vivo. Methods: Fifteen cases with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) followed by radical surgery after nCRT between September 2022 and February 2023 were recruited. Resected specimens were fixed in a perfluoropolyether‐filled test tube and scanned with a 3.0T and 9.4T MRI system ex vivo. The residual tumor depth and MRI‐based tumor regression grade (TRG) were subjectively assessed and then compared with the pathological findings. Results: The ex vivo 9.4T T2WI without fat suppression clearly differentiated tumor tissue, fibrosis and normal rectal wall, which clearly corresponded to the pathologic tissues of the rectal specimens. The TRG could be accurately assessed on ex vivo 9.4T images in 13/15 specimens (86.7%), while in 11/15 specimens (73.3%) on ex vivo 3.0T images. Conclusion: Ex vivo 9.4T MR imaging clearly displayed the components of rectal wall and proved excellent diagnostic performance for evaluating the treatment response to nCRT, which allow radiologists to understand and then assess more accurately the TRG of LARC after nCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and ab initio lattice dynamics (AILD) simulations are applied to study the properties of CaO SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 slag system. • Density of state (DOS) and electron density difference (EDD) predicts O atoms are more reactive and bonding strength decreases in the order of Si-O>Al O>Ca O. • Bond population analysis indicate that Si-O bonds are stronger than Al O and Ca O bonds due to shorter bond length. • Radial distribution function (RDF) and mean square displacement (MSD) were calculated at 1773 K. • Temperature dependence of diffusion coefficient and viscosity for ternary slag system were investigated in the range of 1350–2100 K. In current first principle studies the electronic, structural and physical properties of CaO SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 ternary slag system were calculated by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and ab initio lattice dynamics (AILD) simulations, based on density functional theory (DFT). The density of states (DOS) and electrons density difference (EDD) were evaluated to understand the bonding nature of slag network structure. Furthermore, the atomic and bond population analysis shows that the Si O bonds are stronger as compared to Al O and Ca O bonds in molten slag. The radial distribution function (RDF) and mean square displacement (MSD) were obtained at 1773 K, which are used to calculate the diffusion coefficient and viscosity of ternary slag system. Moreover, the temperature dependence of diffusion coefficient and viscosity were investigated in the range of 1350–2100 K. The calculated results indicate that the diffusion coefficient decreases and viscosity increases at high temperature for CSA slag system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of titanium carbonitride (Ti(C,N)) on the viscosity of high-titanium-type blast furnace slags was investigated. The different Ti(C,N) contents were achieved by adjusting the reduction degree of TiO2 to reflect the real characteristics of the high-titanium slag. The results show that the viscosity of the slag increased with the increasing Ti(C,N) content and decreased with the rising temperature. A deviation between the measured and the fitted viscosity appeared as the content of the Ti(C,N) was beyond 4 wt%. Furthermore, the apparent viscous flow activation energy of the slag ranged from 106.13 kJ/mol to 235.46 kJ/mol by varying the Ti(C,N) contents from 0 wt% to 4.97 wt%, which was evidently different from the results of previous studies. The optical microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis show that numerous bubble cavities were embedded in the slags and the Ti(C,N) particles agglomerated in the solidified samples. This phenomenon further indicates that the high-titanium slag is a polyphase dispersion system, which consists of liquid slag, solid Ti(C,N) particles and bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of communication technology, the intelligent mobile terminal brings about great convenience to people's life with rich applications, while its power consumption has become a great concern to researchers and consumers. Power modeling is the basis to understand and analyze the power consumption characteristics of the terminal. In this paper, we analyze the Bluetooth and hidden power consumption of the android platform and fix the power model of open-source Android platform. Then, a power consumption monitoring tool is implemented based on the model; the tool is divided into three layers, which are original information monitor layer, power consumption calculation layer, and application layer. The original monitor layer gets the power consumption data and running time of the different components under different states, the calculation layer calculates the power consumption of each hardware and each application based on the power model of each component, and the application layer displays the real-time power consumption of the software and hardware. Finally, we test our tool in real environment by using Xiaomi 9 Pro and perform comparison with actual instrument measurement; the error between the monitored value and the measured value is less than 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adhesion, stability, atomic bonding and electronic structure of γ-TiAl (110)/VN (100) interface were studied by first-principle calculation. Five interface structures with different atom stacking sequences (top- and bridge-) were considered to examine the bonding nature. Results indicated that the preferred interfacial structure is that Al atom locates above the ceramic’s metalloid atom, which has the largest ideal work of adhesion and the smallest interfacial energy. The top-site interface, where Al atom locates above the ceramic’s metalloid atom, is characterized by a strong Al-N polar covalent bond, whereas the other top-side interface with Al atom above the metal atom exhibits an Al-V and V-Ti metal bond characteristics. The hybridization between Al-sp and N-sp orbitals is the main interaction that strengthens the interfacial adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel high activity antibacterial nanocomposite GO-PEI-PTD is synthesized. • Multi-dimensional blended yarns are constructed by nanofiber anchoring GO-PEI-PTD. • The GO-PEI-PTD fabric maintains an antibacterial rate of 99.99% after 50 washes. • The fabric shows renewable antibacterial property and excellent tensile strength. Antibacterial textiles possess a crucial application in personal and public health protection. However, limited by antibacterial materials and processing methods, traditional antibacterial textiles still suffer from low antibacterial efficiency and poor durability. Herein, an preparation strategy of novel multi-dimensional blended yarn with efficient and renewable antibacterial properties was proposed.A precursor of high antibacterial activity N -halamine, 6-phenyl-1,3,5-trialkane-2,4-dione (PTD), was synthesized. PTD was grafted onto polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified graphene oxide (GO) to form a novel nanocomposite antibacterial material (GO-PEI-PTD) with high active chlorine loading and stability. Utilizing alternating configurations of linear electrostatic spinning modules, GO-PEI-PTD and polyurethane nanofibers were simultaneously sprayed onto cotton webs and further spun into GO-PEI-PTD yarns. GO-PEI-PTD nanosheets are tightly wrapped around nanofibers or entangled in the nanofiber networks, achieving a solid combination of antibacterial agent on the yarn. The prepared antibacterial fabric shows rapid and efficient antibacterial properties. The inhibition rate of E. coli and S. aureus is up to 99.99% after 50 times of washing. High activated chlorine content(3700 ppm) and tensile strength(30.77 MPa) after 10 cycles of chlorination indicate its excellent reusability. The multi-dimensional blended yarn developed by multicomponent alternating electrospinning provides an ideal strategy for the development of high-performance functional textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-site thermal response test (TRT) is commonly applied in engineering, but it treats the complex soil with groundwater as the homogeneous soil without groundwater. Although the short-term heat transfer of the two soils may be equivalent, its impact on the long-term performance of the ground source heat pump system (GSHPS) remains to be proved. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical simulation platform was established. Based on the platform, the equivalence of the TRT and its impact on the long-term performance of the system were analyzed. The results showed that the short-term heat transfer between the actual and equivalent conditions is similar, but the long-term performance of the GSHPS differs greatly, better in the actual condition. The difference of the heat transfer of compact clay, lightweight sand and dry shale between the actual and equivalent conditions were 2.65%, 2.75% and 3.07%, respectively. Under the actual condition of dense clay, the average cooling coefficient of performance (COP) in the tenth year is 29.01% smaller than the equivalent condition, but the average heating COP was 12.38% higher. Compared with first year, the heating COP in the tenth year under actual condition decreased by 1.67%, but 8.70% under the equivalent condition. • An accurate 3D numerical simulation model was built. • The equivalence of the identification method was analyzed. • The influence of the equivalence on the ground source heat pump system was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study on the effectiveness of bortezomib combined with thalidomide and dexamethasone in treating patients with crystal-storing histiocytosis (CSH) associated with monoclonal gammopathy. It cites the case of a 48-year-old woman presented with hepatosplenomegaly and diagnosed with the CSH following the findings of her clinical examination. The patient is given with bortezomib combined with thalidomide and dexamethasone, leading to her improved condition.

Under the trend of vehicle intelligentization, many electrical control functions and control methods have been proposed to improve vehicle comfort and safety, among which the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system is a typical example. However, the tracking performance, comfort and control robustness of the ACC system need more attention under uncertain environments and changing motion states. Therefore, this paper proposes a hierarchical control strategy, including a dynamic normal wheel load observer, a Fuzzy Model Predictive Controller and an integral-separate PID executive layer controller. Firstly, a deep learning-based dynamic normal wheel load observer is added to the perception layer of the conventional ACC system and the observer output is used as a prerequisite for brake torque allocation. Secondly, a Fuzzy Model Predictive Control (fuzzy-MPC) method is adopted in the ACC system controller design, which establishes performance indicators, including tracking performance and comfort, as objective functions, dynamically adjusts their weights and determines constraint conditions based on safety indicators to adapt to continuously changing driving scenarios. Finally, the executive controller adopts the integral-separate PID method to follow the vehicle's longitudinal motion commands, thus improving the system's response speed and execution accuracy. A rule-based ABS control method was also developed to further improve the driving safety of vehicles under different road conditions. The proposed strategy has been simulated and validated in different typical driving scenarios and the results show that the proposed method provides better tracking accuracy and stability than traditional techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Si–MoSi 2 functionally graded coating on Mo substrate consisting of a Si–MoSi 2 layer (2.5 µm), a MoSi 2 layer (18 µm) and a Mo–Mo 5 Si 3 –Mo 3 Si layer (2–4 µm) was prepared by a liquid phase siliconizing method. The siliconized coating has a dense layered structure and no micro-cracks and holes. The Si element mainly enriches on the surface with the highest content of about 50 wt%, and inhibits the formation of Mo 5 Si 3 and volatile MoO 3 and improves the high-temperature oxidation resistance of the coating. The mass gain of Si-MoSi 2 coating is only 0.17 wt% after oxidized at 1600 ℃ for 70 h. The Si–MoSi 2 functionally graded coating exhibits better high temperature oxidation resistance than pure MoSi 2 coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Conformal sphincter preservation operation (CSPO) procedure is a sphincter preservation procedure for preserving the anal canal function for very low rectal cancers. This study investigated the functional and oncological outcome of conformal sphincter preservation operation by comparing with low anterior resection (LAR) and abdominoperineal resection (APR). Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study. Patients who received conformal sphincter preservation operation (n = 52), low anterior resection (n = 54), or abdominoperineal resection (n = 69) were included between 2011 and 2016 in a tertiary referral hospital. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust the baseline characteristics which may influence the choice of the surgical procedure. Results: Twenty-one pairs of conformal sphincter preservation operation vs. low anterior resection and 29 pairs of conformal sphincter preservation operation vs. abdominoperineal resection were selected. The first group had a higher tumor location than the second group. Compared with the low anterior resection group, the conformal sphincter preservation operation group had shorter distal resection margins; however, no significant differences were identified in daily stool frequency, Wexner incontinence score, local recurrence, distant metastasis, overall survival, and disease-free survival between both groups. Compared with the abdominoperineal resection group, the conformal sphincter preservation operation group had shorter operative time and shorter postoperative hospital stay. No significant differences were identified in local recurrence, distant metastasis, overall survival, and disease-free survival. Conclusion: Conformal sphincter preservation operation is oncologically safe compared to APR and LAR, and has similar functional findings to LAR. Studies comparing CSPO with intersphincteric resection should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of b-value threshold (bThreshold) map in preoperative evaluation of tumor budding (TB) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Patients with LARC were enrolled and underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the lesions and normal tissues was assessed using DWI and bThreshold maps. TB was counted and scored using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Reproducibility for the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), bThreshold values, and region-of-interest (ROI) sizes were compared. Differences in ADC and bThreshold values with low-intermediate and high TB grades and the correlations between mean ADC and bThreshold values with TB categories were analyzed. Diagnostic performance of ADC and bThreshold values was assessed using area under the curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis. Results: Fifty-one patients were evaluated. The CNR on bThreshold maps was significantly higher than that on DW images (9.807 ± 4.811 vs 7.779 ± 3.508, p = 0.005). Reproducibility was excellent for the ADC (ICC 0.933; CV 8.807%), bThreshold values (ICC 0.958; CV 7.399%), and ROI sizes (ICC 0.934; CV 8.425%). Significant negative correlations were observed between mean ADC values and TB grades and positive correlations were observed between mean bThreshold values and TB grades (p < 0.05). bThreshold maps showed better diagnostic performance than ADC maps (AUC, 0.914 vs 0.726; p = 0.048). Conclusions: In LARC patients, bThreshold values could distinguish different TB grades better than ADC values, and bThreshold maps may be a preoperative, non-invasive approach to evaluate TB grades. Key Points: • Compared with diffusion-weighted images, bThresholdmaps improved visualization and detection of rectal tumors. • Agreement and diagnostic performance of bThresholdvalues are superior to apparent diffusion coefficient in assessing tumor budding grades in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. • bThresholdmaps could be used to evaluate tumor budding grades non-invasively before operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The safe distance between the intraoperative resection line and the visible margin of the distal rectal tumor after preoperative radiotherapy is unclear. We aimed to investigate the furthest tumor intramural spread distance in fresh tissue to determine a safe distal intraoperative resection margin length. Methods: Twenty rectal cancer specimens were collected after preoperative radiotherapy. Tumor intramural spread distances were defined as the distance between the tumor's visible and microscopic margins. Visible tumor margins in fresh specimens were identified during the operation and were labeled with 5 - 0 sutures under the naked eye at the distal 5, 6, and 7 o'clock directions of visible margins immediately after removal of the tumor. After fixation with formalin, the sutures were injected with nanocarbon particles. Longitudinal tissues were collected along three labels and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The spread distance after formalin fixation was measured between the furthest intramural spread of tumor cells and the nanocarbon under a microscope. A positive intramural spread distance indicated that the furthest tumor cell was distal to the nanocarbon, and a negative value indicated that the tumor cell was proximal to the nanocarbon. The tumor intramural spread distance in fresh tissue during the operation was 1.75 times the tumor intramural spread distance after formalin fixation according to the literature. Results: At the distal 5, 6, and 7 o'clock direction, seven (35%), five (25%), and six (30%) patients, respectively, had distal tumor cell intramural spread distance > 0 mm. The mean and 95% confidence interval of tumor cell intramural spread distance in fresh tissue during operation was − 0.3 (95%CI − 4.0 ~ 3.4) mm, − 0.9 (95%CI − 3.4 ~ 1.7) mm, and − 0.4 (95%CI − 3.5 ~ 2.8) mm, respectively. The maximal intraoperative intramural spread distances in fresh tissue were 8.8, 7, and 7 mm, respectively. Conclusions: The intraoperative distance between the distal resection line and the visible margin of the rectal tumor after radiotherapy should not be less than 1 cm to ensure oncological safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron and steel industry is a major CO2 emitter and an important subject for the implementation of carbon emission reduction goals and tasks. Due to the complex ore composition and low iron grade, vanadium–bearing titanomagnetite smelting in a blast furnace consumes more coke and emits more carbon than in an ordinary blast furnace. Injecting hydrogen–rich gas into blast furnace can not only partially replace coke, but also reduce the carbon emission. Based on the whole furnace and zonal energy and mass balance of blast furnace, the operation window of the blast furnace smelting vanadium–bearing titanomagnetite is established in this study on the premise that the thermal state of the blast furnace is basically unchanged (raceway adiabatic flame temperature and top gas temperature). The effects of different injection amounts of hydrogen–rich gases (shale gas, coke oven gas, and hydrogen) on raceway adiabatic flame temperature and top gas temperature, and the influence of blast temperature and preheating temperature of hydrogen–rich gases on operation window are calculated and analyzed. This study provides a certain theoretical reference for the follow–up practice of hydrogen–rich smelting of vanadium–bearing titanomagnetite in blast furnace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing awareness of carbon emission reduction and environmental protection, the CO 2 storage using industrial solid waste as the storing carrier has recently gained an extensive attention. A new strategy for CO 2 storage and Al 2 O 3 extraction from blast furnace slag (BFS) and coal fly ash (CFA) has here been proposed by using vacuum reduction and alkali dissolution methods. The results show that the mullite (Al 6 Si 2 O 13), gehlenite (Ca 2 Al 2 SiO 7), and akermanite (Ca 2 MgSi 2 O 7) in CFA and BFS were converted to Fe–Si alloys and CaO·xAl 2 O 3 during vacuum reduction. Thereafter, the CaO·xAl 2 O 3 was dissolved in a mixed solution of Na 2 CO 3 and NaOH to generate CaCO 3 and NaAl(OH) 4. Finally, the Fe–Si alloy and CaCO 3 mixture in the alkali leaching residue were separated using magnetic separation to realize the CO 2 storage and metal recovery. In this process, the CO 2 storage capacity attained 241 kg t−1 BFS and the Al 2 O 3 recovery efficiency was 80.61 %, indicating that an efficient storage of CO 2 and Al 2 O 3 extraction were achieved simultaneously. In addition, there was almost no generation of waste slag or waste liquid in this process, which indicated that an environmentally friendly and efficient process for CO 2 storage, as well as valuable metal recovery from industrial solid wastes was obtained. • A clean process for CO 2 storage and Al 2 O 3 extraction from CFA and BFS was proposed. • The Al 6 Si 2 O 13 , Ca 2 Al 2 SiO 7 , and Ca 2 MgSi 2 O 7 were converted to Fe–Si alloy and CaO·xAl 2 O 3 by vacuum reduction. • The CaO·xAl 2 O 3 was dissolved in an alkali solution to generate NaAl(OH) 4 and CaCO 3. • The CO 2 storage capacity of 241 kg t−1 BFS and the Al 2 O 3 extraction rate of 80.61 % were obtained by the new process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The pyrolysis characteristics of the coal used in the COREX process were studied. [•] The pyrolysis process of the coals could be divided into four stages. [•] The heating rate mainly influences the primary pyrolysis stage of the coal. [•] The second order reaction and third order reaction can give a better representation of the main pyrolysis process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article proposes a rotor design method suitable for double-layer interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (DIPMSM), which can reduce electromagnetic torque ripple and at the same time reduce the electromagnetic noise of the motor. In previous studies, the inverse cosine function (ICF) was used to modify the rotor shape for making the air-gap flux density distribution sinusoidal under no-load conditions, which can reduce the torque ripple. However, conventional ICF can only be used in a single-layer interior rotor structure. Consequently, this article proposes a piecewise inverse cosine function (PICF) based on ICF, which can be applied to DIPMSM. To verify the improvement of the proposed method in the electromagnetic and noise aspects of the motor, the electromagnetic model and a noise prediction model of the 36-slot/8-pole motor are established by the finite element method. The PICF model is compared with the prototype in the aspects of electromagnetic performance and noise. The torque ripple is reduced by 54.16%, from ±2.4 to ±1.1 N m, and the electromagnetic noise is reduced by about 4.9 dB. Finally, the accuracy of the noise prediction model is verified by the noise test of the prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]